I can't stop thinking about this

[Colleen27]

Bingo. I'm an elementary school teacher & this is similar to a point I've made elsewhere: social distancing as we know it is not going to happen at public schools. The space isn't there, first and foremost, to physically space the kids out. The staff isn't there, and no, the class sizes of public schools, which are funded by states, are not going to get smaller in the middle of a severe economic recession.

The economy can't get back to normal (and children can't fully resume their very important social and academic learning), until schools reopen. And social distancing isn't possible in that environment. So social distancing will have to end within a few months.

I hope this ends up being what happens. Our school is being encouraged to prepare to remain online in the fall, though, and some of the state reopening plans that have been published so far (California's in particular) seem to point in that direction too. I don't see how any schools can possibly satisfy Newsom's reopening criteria, and since that's where my older daughter attends college, I'll be watching with great interest to see if the guidelines are revised.

I agree that there's no way social distancing can be done in schools - even the private school my daughter attends, where classes are mostly have 10-15 students, doesn't have the space or staffing to make it happen. We figured out that we'd have to keep our class size to no more than 7 to follow distancing guidelines and use both the cafeteria and gym to maintain spacing during lunch. We don't have enough empty classrooms for that and we're certainly not hiring additional teachers and support staff right now.

 

[choirfarm]

Yes, I am on another board where we are discussing the issues of schools/daycares at length. Many throwing totally out of the box solutions, because on this particular board, they are convinced we must do so to combat this virus. I have no answers and I do not have a crystal ball. Here are my thoughts/opinions
1. School serves as childcare for many, many students.
2. School is the only place that some students are safe and fed. ( 70 percent of the students in my district get a free breakfast and lunch.)
3. I do not see how social distancing or even basic hygeine can be done in the way schools are set up now. You would need a sink in each classroom. But we only have a few bathrooms on each floor at this point.
4. If the virus is not contained before August, when school starts, then it will spread in schools this fall. Many students will not even know that they have it. They will be asymptomatic spreaders. A few will probably be hospitalized and a very small percentage will die. Students, overall will be fine.
5. Many teachers are at a much higher risk. Depending on the district, you are talking 50 percent or higher. They will fall sick and be out for weeks or months and some will die. Our schools are already short staffed. In fact, our high school dropped drama and Spanish and a couple of other classes because they just didn't have the teachers. How do you replace them?
6. Those students will take it back to their loved ones.
7. Schools may be shut off and on throughout the year. They may need to do the distance learning for some high risk or during the times it has to be shut if the numbers are too high.
8. Telling those that are high risk to just stay home isn't feasible if parents have to work, if half of your teachers are high risk, etc.

People on the board I am on, have suggested dividing the numbers of students in half and having one set come on MTH and the other TF with Wednesdays for deep cleaning. But the amount of sanatizing that is going to have to go on to make them safe is just staggering. We don't have the janitorial staff, nor the money to pay them. Plus, the other half of the children will have to go somewhere..daycare where you have the exact same problems. We do not have facilities to spread them out.

The 20-21 school year has the potential to be even more of a roller coaster than this year. I don't have answers. Once it runs through the school 2 or 3 times, then hopefully enough are immune. ( Still some question about if asymptomatic carriers make enough antibodies to be immune. So then do they get it again, but once again asymptomatically? Talk about spreading it... Who really knows at this point.)

I have no answers, but I am really scared. My daugher is going off to college this fall. Dorms are notorious for spreading things... So will it go all online... etc. etc. etc. Sigh. No answers just so many more questions and concerns.

 

[kimblebee]

Keeping borders closed to protect the rest of the world from Americans- who have the highest numbers / death rates right now. Keeping borders closed will not mitigate the risk anymore. That train left the station a long time ago.


I know it won’t stop the virus by keeping the borders closed, but it will sure keep our numbers down. My province alone only has 254 active cases. We have more recovered people than active cases. We’re getting about 3-4 new cases a day and have had days with NO new cases. We have flattened the curve. Allowing people who are from a country that’s reopening with no plans in place is just stupid.

Again, I can’t imagine how it feels to have your state open when you’d really rather it stay closed to stop the spread, but I’ll feel
Sorry for you from behind a closed border.